AT&T Doubles Down On Upgrade Fee, Reminds Us Why They’re Last In Customer Satisfaction

AT&T Doubles Down On Upgrade Fee, Reminds Us Why They’re Last In Customer Satisfaction
Starting Sunday AT&T customers will be faced with a $36 fee for upgrading to a new device. This is a 100% increase from the current fee of $18! You ask yourself why, why would AT&T impose a 100% increase on a fee so outlandish that the majority of carriers wave? I say it’s to make up for the 4 billion dollar loss they took on the failed T-Mobile merger. They say it’s because:

“Wireless devices today are more sophisticated than ever before. And because of that, the costs associated with upgrading to a new device have increased and is reflected in our new upgrade fee,” “This fee isn’t unique to AT&T and this is the first time we’re changing it in nearly 10 years.”

I guess we should be thanking them, you know, for the 10 years that the fee stayed the same? Another slime move by a carrier in an attempt to pick our pockets for fees they should be paying. Anyone remember the Verizon fiasco when they tried to charge customers an extra $2 for paying their bill? The outrage from consumers resulted in Verizon ultimately abandoning the fee in favor of consumer satisfaction. Let’s hope AT&T does the same, but then again, there’s a reason why AT&T remains the worst carrier when it comes to customer satisfaction.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1295253546 Leonardo Conner Russell

    Well I’m pretty sure this is the smaller of whats happened lately, like the whole throttling grandfathered in people that have unlimited data. AT&T really should watch itself considering how two better networks have the iPhone. 5 years of loyalty and now this bullshit. Thankfully I have Verizon also, so looks like I’ll add another line or pick up Sprint, they’ve looked pretty nice lately. 

  • Anonymous

    Fuckin hate AT&T

  • Anthony Napolitano

    HATE at&t.  I was recently sent a message by at&t that said I was mistakenly charged for long distance .  Long distance is free on all accounts.  I called to inquire and they claimed I used a phone card.  A phone card for long distance when long distance is free??  I insisted on credit ASAP before I would send in a payment.  I had to wait for a manager to call me back.  It took 3 days before this happened and by this time my bill was late.  He credited my account and I sent the proper payment by mail immediately.  Today  I went to upgrade my wifes phone and I was told she was not eligible for an upgrade because my bill was past due!!  I have been with at&t for 10 years….not once have I been late.  I had to argue for an hour before a manager agreed to bypass the stop they had on my account.  I reminded him that my wife had no contract on her account and I had no problem going to verizon.  This seemed to light a fire under his ass.  I could not believe that as a long standing good customer I was facing such rigid rules that they were risking losing a customer!!  I was being penalized for at&t’s mistake!!  If it were not for my government discount, I would have no reason to stay with such a horrible company.  

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/DE6T4IXSDHNYJSB672KEXNVYUA E

    I’ve been with AT&T since the iphone launch but will drop them IMMEDIATELY as soon as Verizon gets the LTE iPhone, it’s just a matter of time… AT&T has abused it’s customers beyond what’s reasonable in the Bay Area with terrible coverage and unreliable service to the point that is almost impossible to conduct business with the iPhone 4S, or a Blackberry. I would assume is the same with other brand of mobile phones.

  • Anonymous

    Yeah! Because as a gsm carrier you can’t just pull the SIM card out and stick it in a new phone. Oh the micro SIM needs to be swapped onto a line? The manufacturer should be expected to take a charge being that they choose to make that change. It shouldn’t be passed onto the customer. Jerks. I’m glad my T-Mobile account didn’t end up on ATT.

  • Winski

    They truly don’t get the message yet do they….. Must be the air in Dallas or the layers of BS that rat hole is built on but other options besides their awful network DO EXIST. And I take advantage of them everyday…

  • Anonymous

    I walked into one of the AT&T franchise stores and asked if I move my Verizon account to AT&T and purchase an iPhone 3G, what would be the cost to upgrade to the latest iPhone when it comes out in June or July. The sales guy told me it wold be the cost of the new phone, plus $100. So $36 at an AT&T company store is not a bad deal..

  • Anonymous

    I upgrade every 2 years. Thirty six dollars? Cry me a river.

  • http://www.sk1wbw.wordpress.com Wayne Williams

    So it costs $36 for someone to walk into the back storeroom and pull out a smartphone for you, but it doesn’t cost money for someone to walk into the back storeroom and pull out a feature dumbphone?  I don’t get it.

  • Anonymous

    Greed! This is just pure, unadulterated greed – and a money grab to try
    and make up for their piss-poor business decisions. (EHEM… failed
    T-Mobile merger)

    These AT&T asshats won’t stop at anything to gouge and screw their customers over! That’s it! I’ve had enough. I’ve been with AT&T since the launch of the iPhone 3G, but when the next iPhone is launched, this guy is off to Verizon. AT&T is digging their own grave with all of their price increases, throttling data at unreasonably low caps on “unlimited” customers and by not expanding and improving their network to handle the increasing load with their ludicrous profits.

    In July, it’s “SEE YA!” with a big, enthusiastic one-finger salute! And I’m taking my wallet with me!

  • Ed_Kel

    Does anyone pay the upgrade fee anymore? A simple call to AT&T customer service usually takes care of it for me.

  • Anonymous

    Sunday Feb 12th? I paid the $36 last month for the phone I got in December. Plus they added insurance and some other “protection” option that I specifically said I didn’t want. So, I’m with rockaroller – I’m done with AT&T. I knew when they took over Cingular the BS would eventually come down. I’ve been through that with AT&T before. So I’ll be off, and taking my 3 numbers with me.

  • Anonymous

    Tmobile value plan with 2 years contract – till February 1, 2014: Loyalty department – helped by DANIEL (employee no. 1244098) Ingrid (employee no. 58046) Maira (employee no. 47271) Chris (february 1,2012)
    $49.98 – 1000 whenever minutes (unlimited nights & weekends and tmobile-tmobile unlimited call)
    $20 – 5gb (unlimited) (no overages) Super fast internet speed (18mbps-28mbps consistently here in Austin,Texas)
    $10 – 2gb (unlimited) (no overages) Super fast internet speed (18mbps-28mbps consistently here in Austin, Texas)
    $5 – 3rd line (we can add 2gb (unlimited-no overages) internet anytime for $10)
    $5 – 4th line (we can add 2gb (unlimited-no overages) internet anytime for $10)
    $20 – domestic & international (worldwide) – all kinds of messaging (unlimited) for all 4 lines
    Total – $109.98 plus taxes & fees with 15% corporate discount and $10 loyalty discount/month till the contract expires.
    So we are looking between $90-$110/month for 4 lines. That is one heck of a deal that NO ONE CAN BEAT.
     
    * Free wifi calling for all 4 lines (will not use minutes to call anybody (domestic) as long its in wifi zone)
    * Corporate discounts - effective till the contract expires
    * Replace all sim card – 4 lines to 4g sim (tmobile store) - free.
    * Can take off internet data features in any line, anytime? their answer is YES.   
    * $120 credit towards the coming bill
     
    * No migration fee
    * no upgrade fee
    * Block pay per use web for lines – (free)
    * Web guard – teen (free)
    * International long distance blocking for all lines (free)

    Theres more freebies we got from free phone (1 day sale of samsung galaxy s2 & htc amaze) to 1st month credit on our account.
    NO ONE CAN BEAT TMOBILE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND INSANE PRICING & PACKAGES…
    I was an AT&T subscriber for 8 years and will never go back to them forever…
    F U… AT&T…

  • Christopher Turcotte

    What are we talking about here AT&T, a few mouse clicks? OMG…my finger clicked as many times as it did for the original fee. Ooops…we can’t have that, let’s charge more. Really AT&T……REALLY!

  • http://twitter.com/NapMan Michael Napier

    I have been a mostly happy AT&T customer for probably going on 10 years now.
    Now I’m considering leaving.  With the throttling of customer’s “unlimited” data and this 100% increase in the already frivolous activation fee I can see myself going to Verizon or Sprint. 
    I know Verizon doesn’t offer unlimited data but I don’t get the impression that they loathe their customers.

About the author

Vincent MessinaVincent Messina has been writing and evangelizing about Android for the past three years. When he's not playing the part of "Loki" to his 5 and 4-year-old, he can be found here, covering all things Android. He adamantly believes Android has the greatest community around and can be harassed at any of the following locations: Google+, Twitter.

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